Commission to decide on Millville’s economic firm

Cumberland County College and the Millville Urban Redevelopment Corp. are working together in hopes of building the CCC Arts and Business Innovation Center in downtown Millville shown in this artist’s rendering. Millville City Commission will decide this month whether to keep the Millville Urban Redevelopment Corp. as the city’s economic developer.(Photo: File)

MILLVILLE – The fate of the city’s outsourced economic development agency will be decided later this month.

City Commission is expected to vote on whether or not to renew an agreement with the Millville Urban Redevelopment Corporation, and it remains unclear where the commission stands with the nonprofit organization. A vote on a new agreement could take place during the commission’s meeting next week or its Dec. 30 year-end meeting.

MURC Secretary Larry Miller recently spoke to the commission in hopes of winning its support.

MURC was created in 2011 as an outsourced economic development agency and billed as a money-saver for the city.

The commission could bring economic development back in-house if it decides not to renew its agreement with MURC.

“We strongly recommend the re-authoritzation of the Millville Urban Redevelopment Corporation as your entity into looking at the economic development of this community,” Miller said. “We think it’s a cost-saving department. We’ve been able to have the expertise on this board and contract service consultants to help this city and its future economic development.”

Commissioners Joe Sooy and Lynne Porreca Compari raised questions and concerns about the proposed $5.6 million Cumberland County College Arts and Business Innovation Center, which has been setback several months due to struggles with securing funding.

MURC was leading the project until former executive director Don Ayres retired in February. The Cumberland County Improvement Authority has since taken over as interim director of the organization.

The building originally was projected to cost $7 million, but dropped to $5.6 million in July after plans were trimmed.

The facility is planned for the corner of High and Vine streets, and has more than $1 million in city money already invested in it.

Organizers are trying to secure the final $800,000 for the building. Half of the money could be bonded, while the other $400,000 could come from the city’s deal with New Jersey Motorsports Park last year. The city sold land in a $400,000 deal to NJMP for its Field of Dreams motocross park.

Vice Mayor Jim Quinn told the commission he was recently asked by Cumberland County Freeholder Director Joe Derella if they could vote on a resolution to show where they stood on the project.

“Things are not real good downtown because of the economy,” Quinn said. “This would provide 450 to 500 people daily in our High Street area. I’d like to see us work as hard as we can. Even if you took a $400,000 bond over a 20-year period, it wouldn’t be a large chunk of money.”

Porreca Compari said she wasn’t convinced the project would work as others hope.

“All the money spent toward the college building — I’m not sure that’s going to save downtown or not — but what I do know is that the city’s at a crossroads, and that we need to improve the basics of our town. It’s safety, it’s appearance and the infrastructure.”